tokyo and other matters

tokyo's going the be tons of fun this weekend. do we have to be all suited-out? what are you guys planning on wearing?
dave suggested a cool place to go saturday night - an electronica club where his friend is playing some music...it's in er...can't remember. shibuya? rappongi? anyway, it's free cover which I LIKE! but we can talk about it later. what time are we all planning on showing up?
who's all coming to the opening dinner sunday night? i hope all of you will grace us with your presence. this gallery looks really nice (it's in shibuya) and the menu looks superb. www.fujimamas.com 6:30-8:30, don't be late. they'll be a big group of us going, get in touch with one of us (though most of you will be with me then anyway probs). spread the word! ;)
also, kat had a good point for those of us who are fitness-ly inclined. the keio plaza probably has a MINT gym, so bring ur grubs and running shoes!
big party planned for....tuesday night is it? (the tochio clan is organizing???)
whoo hoo!!!!!!!!!

my gorgeous fu-chan 

fu and kyoko 

hot pic of debs and me 

sometimes i think...what's the point???

i am having one of those days, guys. you know the days where you feel as though you might as well not even bother doing ANYTHING because it's totally useless anyway?
just taught a san-nensei class. they were learning "i have lived in nani-nai..." and "have you (verb)ed in nani-nani?". my JTE and i started with a dialogue and then some M/C questions about the dialogue ("Anbeek sensei, how long have you lived in Japan?") after the mini quiz they were divided into six groups and i gave them a piece of paper with 10 questions on it for both the JTE and myself, as kind of an interview. in groups, they had to ask both of us the quesions and write down the answers. ("how long have you taught at Saruhashi JHS?"..). first the JTE explained the activity then went over each question individually, telling them what they were in japanese. not one student was paying attention, they were all just talking or laughing or writing notes to their friends or sleeping. then the JTE wanted me to read each question so they would repeat it. so i started reading, and they just continued with whatever they were doing, not one student would repeat after me. and i'm continuing, almost laughing to myself (in a really bitter, pissed off kind of way), as not one student is repeating after me. THEN after i was finished being absolutely useless, the JTE told them to start and they all just sat there, fixing their bangs in their mirrors, sleeping, writing letters, talking... for the rest of class. and of course they were never once even encouraged to do some F-ING work. and why is it i bother to prepare activities???

1rst Tokyo Exhibition...if possible pls RSVP to Emma

You are invited to an Exhibition Opening"Melting Pot"A group show by international artists

Emi Okamoto, Lora Apostoli, Chad Smith, Sally Davies, Justine Anbeek,Liz Orange, Takako

Uchida, Natalie Stoner and Emma WattsFujimamas RestaurantHarajuku, TokyoSunday June

5th 6.30pm-8.30pmShow runs from 1/6- 30/6 2005This show is presented by a group of 9

young artists currently living and working in Japan. It is an international group- the work is

inspired by world travel and by Japan. The artists work in a variety of medium and their very

different viewpoints make this a fresh and eclectic exhibition.

Please come and enjoy the artwork, food, drink,groovy atmosphere and good company!

The entrance fee is 2200 yen (+ tax)- including a delicious dinner (check out fujimamas menu)

and a glass of sparkling wine.200 yen per head will be donated to the Niigata Papua New

Guinea Association.MenuSmoked Salmon Crostini with Wasabi and Tobiko Vietnamese

Vegetable Salad Rolls with Miso Sesame Sauce Tortilla Crisps filled with Avocado & Shrimp

Salad Asian Rubbed Chicken Wings Lotus Chips and Vegetable SalsaAssorted Fresh mini

brownies+ Pay bar

www.fujimamas.com

Please rsvp to ema.watts@gmail.com to confirm

numbers!

starbucks?

was there a gathering at starbucks last night? i went to bed at about 5pm (after getting home at 6am) and promptly fell asleep until about midnight. did you guys meet there? n & j, did you come back from tokyo? l, u weren't back yet, were you? n & j, how did the weekend go???

 

shibata is beautiful

luke, hiten and i went on a bike ride today, on a 12-km-each way bike path that starts in shibata and meanders through the countryside. i always forget exactly how rural niigata prefecture is until i step out of the city. it was breathtakingly beautiful, with the lush greenery, the rice paddies, and the mountains. we stopped at the 'town' where the bike path ends, and had seafood rice pilaf in a quaint little restaurant with a beautiful view of the paddies. on the way back we also stopped at a beautiful traditional japanese tea house. we sat on a table outside that overlooked a gigantic, beautifully aqua-green swelling river, and ate delicious anko-filled fried moji balls and tea. i should spend more saturdays like this.

regional news:

minutes it took me to bike to school this morning: 16
latest events at my 'bad' school: evil girls stole unfortunate teacher's pencil case and cd...they later wound up in the toilet of the girls bathroom. and she's the only teacher that actually gives a damn about these students.
student relationships: the evil girl who i yelled at last week and who sent me daggers for the rest of the class has now decided she wants to become my friend.
japanese study: today i've learned 'zannen-desu-ga, yooji-ga arimasu'. i'm sorry, but i'm busy tomorrow.
weather today: sunny and gorgeous. about 18 degrees?
maker of the best prawn curry: hiten
hours of work till it's the weekend: 12

sukyuba no daibingu 

luke's bday 

sugoi, ne! kyou wa ii tenki, desu ne?

my new bike is wonderful.
time it takes to drive to the gym: 10 minutes
time it takes to bike to the gym: 17 minutes
time it takes to drive to toyoura JHS: 10 minutes
time it takes to bike to toyoura: 17 minutes
this morning was wonderful. it's great to see the sunshine, get some fresh air, and feel invigorated first thing in the morning. it just sets your day off right. i passed groups of Nakaura shougakko kids walking to school, with their bright yellow caps and hard backpacks. when they saw me they flashed their wide-eyed grins and shouted, "Justine sensei!!! Ohayo gozaimasu!" "Ohayo gozaimasu!" i shouted behind me as i passed them in an instant, grinning because their cute smiles are contagious. the water-filled rice paddies are glittering in the sunshine, and the mountains are so clear and visible it's possible to see the clouds streaming around them. a morning such as this can keep you smiling for a long time.

why can't i resist omiage?

doesn't this little town change so much when spring has finally arrived? the leaves on the trees and the flowers in the bushes of gardens turn it from a concrete wasteland to a beautiful little city. and, exciting news...i bought a bike...(a 21-speed for Y8000.00)!!!! it's tomoko and mine's plan to ride our bikes to and from the gym (4km's each way) so that half our cardio is already done! absolument ingenious, i'd say. but she's in tokyo this week. :( come home tomoks. admittedly, i'm a geek.
so...party in kash i missed on a scale of 1-10? please rate with comments.
the bf's on his way to recovery...glad i went down to see him though. nagoya's charming as ever, looking forward to going back in a couple of weeks.
and, my...a weekend ahead of us with nothing planned??? (except for kato's bday of course). only 32 more hours to go...

APRIL 05...hey, have i changed much??? 

NOVEMBER 04... 

my mechanic here sent me this! such a sweet man. when i got my 2nd car in january. gotta love him 

old pic i took, think it's in scheveningen, holland. entered it into an online photo contest and won...but i'm pretty sure it's a scam. 

my street in guelph. an earlier blog post had this same photo in winter. my sister in law sent it to me. 

jeff u rock my world

http://www.fatetwins.com/video/spring.wmv

it's almost june

why am i freezing, goosebumpy, chattery in the teacher's room?
i was supposed to teach one class today but i guess my JTE apparently forgot because he was no where to be found. ho hum, another day of playing on the internet. but i did actually do something useful and filled out the shibata-shi guide template for the niigata JET website. it's completely cheesy and full of BS but there you have it. you can make fun of me later.
40 minutes till lunch...

1-10

i can finally read and write #1-10 in kanji. how long have i lived here?

bad mood

8:57am monday morning. is there a worse time?
3 classes today...at my bad school. is there a worse day?
sooooo tired after getting home from nagoya late. but a very good trip. i didn't go to the expo but from what i saw it looked really cool and would definitely recommend going. i'm going to go back in a couple of weeks, anyone who wants a ride can come. i want to fill my car and leave on a friday after work. i'll figure out the dates and let me know guys.
did i miss an exciting weekend in the N-dot?

dead people

i dreamed last night i was back in malaysia. but it was a very different malaysia than the one i just came back from. it was scummy, corrupt, poor, sickly. beggers were everywhere and sickly looking people meandered around the slummy streets. at some point i realized that my friend had drowned. i was in mourning. i was then driving my car up a hill, on a torn up street with people everywhere lying in the middle of the road. i asked my friend sitting in the front seat if it was ok to drive up the road and he said yes, it was fine. i saw a boy lying in the middle of the street. he was deathly skinny, he looked like a victim of draught and starvation. my friend said i was fine, if i drove forward i would miss him by a long shot, no need to be cautious. so i drove forward, then felt a bump. i panicked and backed up, driving for a second time over the boy. i looked back towards him and his head was squished by the tires of my car. i started wailing. when i woke up it was one of those wake-ups where all you feel is relief that it was only a dream.

lantern gekko 

village 

as blue as the sky and as clear as glass 

kecil island